BAFTA Games Nominations 2015: The Unsung Heroes

The BAFTA Game 2015 nominations are in and already it's clear that it has been a fantastic year for British-made games.

Alien: Isolation, Forza: Horizon 2 and Monument Valley have all picked up a number of nominations, and many of the games are lesser-known titles you can buy for just a few pounds without even leaving the house.

Other titles to receive acclaim include Far Cry 4, Mario Kart 8 and the surprise hit of the year, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.

While all these games are relatively well-known, it's the unsung heroes of the nominations list that really deserve the limelight.

This year has been an incredible showcase of artistic creativity while also showing the very best that smaller studios are capable of whether it's the beautifully hand-drawn Valiant Hearts: The Great War or the insanely addictive OlliOlli on PS Vita.

Here are the five games from the BAFTA lineup that you might not have heard of but should absolutely play:

1Valiant Hearts: The Great War

Valiant Hearts: The Great War is one of Ubisoft's hidden gems. Created by a small, dedicated team the game is a hand drawn story that paints a beautiful but haunting picture of the First World War. It's accessible yet challenging and will have you reading up on your history without you even knowing it.

2Hitman GO

Hitman GO is, quite simply, one of the best-looking games on iPad and iPhone. It's also one of the most surprising. When we first heard there would be a Hitman game for mobile we were expecting a pretty-yet-unplayable port of one of the older titles. Instead what we got was an exquisitely designed and devilishly difficult board game. Easy to get sucked in and infuriating to complete, Hitman GO was a shock, but a great one.

3The Sailor's Dream

The Sailor's Dream is less of a game and more of an experience. Rather than conventional levels, the game simple washes over you as you explore each location. The visuals are akin to those from a storybook you'd end up cherishing since childhood while the music has been beautifully crafted to match. Best played on the commute home or on a lazy Sunday, headphones should be worn at all times.

480 Days

80 Days is a game filled to the brim with ambition. This real-time massively multiplayer experience lets you race around the globe taking on other players, meeting them, trading and generally exploring the cities you encounter along the way. A simple and stylised interface makes this one of the easiest games to play and yet you'll be hard-pressed to put it down.

5OlliOlli

OlliOlli is one of those rare games that'll come along, trick you into thinking it's not addictive and then spit you out a month later with your thumbs bruised and your gaming reputation in tatters. This is the skateboarding game for people that hate skateboarding games. It's so easy to start with, but as the levels get harder and the requirements increase, it'll have you seething with anger and frustration as you fail to master those harder tricks. If you ever needed a reason to buy a Vita, this is it.